


Victims We Know So Well

by Marittimo



Category: The Lost Boys (Movies)
Genre: Bram Stoker's Dracula, M/M, Max is surprisingly not an asshole, Mentions of alcoholism, Minor Character Death, Vampire-typical violence, it's not going to happen, mentions of domestic violence, mind tricks, stop trying to make the vampiric family happen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:08:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24171073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marittimo/pseuds/Marittimo
Summary: They didn't even bother feeding on her. They just let the corpse fall, dropping it in the middle of the road right in front of the videostore.Leaving it there, they were sure their message would be received.~The boys kill Lucy cause they can't be bothered with Max's obsession with finding them a mother.But when they finally meet Michael, they realize he wouldn't be such a bad addition to their family after all.
Relationships: David/Dwayne/Marko/Paul (Lost Boys), David/Dwayne/Michael Emerson/Marko/Paul (Lost Boys)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter 1

The attack was quick. They just had to glide down and grab her.  
It was over before she could realize what was going on, no sound left her lips when they brought her up in the air and broke her neck.  
They didn't even bother feeding on her. They just let the corpse fall, dropping it in the middle of the road right in front of the videostore.  
Leaving it there, they were sure their message would be received.  
It was a rainy night and there was no one else around, no witness to take care of, so they disappeared in the night, silent as they came.

~

When Max came to visit them that same night it was no surprise. They had been waiting for him.  
They didn't apologize, but Max hadn't expected them to. 

"It didn't have to go like this, and you know it." David started. He knew Max would try to blame them, make them feel guilty. It wasn't gonna work. It had all been _his_ fault.

"She was an innocent, boys..." Max said, as expected. In his tone, the boys could feel he didn't believe it himself. He knew why they did it, why they _had_ to do it.

"Don't give us that!" Dwayne was angry, wouldn't stand for Max pathetic lies anymore " _We warned you_ , don't try to force your idea of family on us! You chose to ignore us, now face the consequences."

"Her blood is on _your_ hands, pal." Marko continued, calmer than his brothers. No need to get mad now that they had ruined his plan already. Max would never try anything like that again if he knew what was good for him. "We made it very clear we didn't want whatever bullshit you were trying to force on us."

Max sighed. He knew they were right, but he had never meant to harm or bother them. "I just wanted us to be close again, as we used to be... I thought giving you a mother would help us connect more."  
He still felt like a father to the boys, only now realizing that his sons were all grown up and that even eternal youth couldn't keep them from drifting away from him in time.

"I'm sorry, boys..." He understood his mistake now; the more he'd try to control them, the more he was gonna lose them. And he didn't want that.

The boys noticed how devastated he seemed. They knew he cared about them and that everything he had done, he did it with the best intentions.  
They also knew how close he'd been to that woman. He hadn't really loved her, she was only a pawn in his grand plan after all, but he had grown closer to her, and the boys suspected Max was going to miss having someone take care of him, be there for him.

"Max," Marko offered, trying to make him understand, "we don't want much, you know? Just stop trying to control us and we'll let you have a woman."

"Hell, we'll even let you have multiple women, just stop the whole family thing you've got going on, okay? You don't have to find us a mother. Just try to find yourself a woman." Dwayne explained to him. "Someone to be your companion, not just a mean to an end."

"Yeah, a nice sexy lady that you actually like." Paul said, encouraging. "What about Maria, man?"

"I beg your pardon?" Max was surprised. What about her employee?

"Yeah, we see the way she looks at you, and we caught _you_ staring more than once." David told him, smirking.

"I've _never_ \- wait, how does she look at me?"

"You honestly never noticed?" Dwayne was genuinely shocked.

"Woah, you sure are dense, man." Marko said in disbelief.

For a moment Max just stood there, surprised. "Boys, I- I could be her father!" As he spoke, Max didn't sound convincing even to himself.

"And you couldn't have been the father to this last one too?" David asked. Was that the best excuse Max could come up with? "I hate to remind you, but you're not as young as you seem."

"Well... I mean- Oh, what's the point of this? She'd never want me, anyway."

Paul just shook his head. "I wouldn't bet on that."

Max was puzzled, not knowing if the boys were serious or just messing with him.

"Just think about it, man." Marko told him, walking up to him to pat his back. "She could make you happy. We know you haven't been in a long time..."

Max looked down at him and saw honest concern in the blond's eyes.

"I'll think about it." Max agreed, nodding.

"Well, it's getting late. I'd better go home." It wasn't really late, but the boys knew he probably just needed to be alone. It had been a stressful day for him, after all.

"You know you can come by whenever you want, right?" The boys looked down. It'd been a long time since they last visited him, and they were starting to feel guilty now.

"We'll do, don't worry." David assured him, and saw Max's face lighten up.  
Maybe it was time they changed, too. Time they put aside their resentment and met Max in the middle, show him they didn't need a mother to bring them closer again.


	2. Chapter 2

After the death of Lucy, her sons had two opposite reactions.  
Sam was completely lost and Michael felt he needed to be strong for him.   
Grandpa had closed up even more and was barely coming out of his workroom to eat. Michael was sure the man even slept in there.

As Michael saw the grief and pain all around him, he couldn't help but feel guilty.  
Michael felt detached, empty. He felt _nothing at all_.

He had comforted Sam, had been there for him. Had held him as he cried and brought him tissues.  
But he himself hadn't cried. He couldn't bring himself to do it.  
He wondered why, wondered what was wrong with him.  
He felt like it was the worst time of his life.

Then their father came.

~

"You ain't settin' foot inside my home, Lance." Grandpa had told him, and he'd been dead serious.  
Lance wasn't used to people standing up to him, but he was a determined man, and he always got what he wanted, whenever he wanted it.

"You can't stop me from seeing my sons, Richard. I'll call my lawyer!" He said, confidently.   
Grandpa had to agree at that point, but their father still wasn't allowed inside. They'd have to get out.

Michael had never liked his father and had always wondered what his mother had seen in him.  
"He used to be so gentle," she'd tell him, "always so romantic and sweet. Until _it_ came between us."

Michael knew well what she meant. _Alcohol_.  
Lance'd get drunk and beat her, then come back the day after with flowers and apologies. But he never stopped drinking.  
Lucy had accepted that for a long time, but when he had started to beat her sons too she had enough and finally left him.

His father stood before him now, and Michael had never wanted to punch someone so badly.  
"Samuel, Michael. My dear sons, I've missed you so much." He said, walking towards him with open arms.  
"Don't you dare touch him." Michael said calmly, putting himself between Sam and their father.

"Don't be ridiculous, Michael. Samuel knows I'd never hurt him, don't you, son?"  
His voice had grown louder with indignation. How dared his son speak to him like that? Of course there'd been some... unfortunate accidents, but it was unacceptable of Michael to assume any of that had been intentional!

"I asked you a question son, didn't I? Answer me!" His tone changed suddenly, and Michael knew what it meant, what it usually anticipated, but he wasn't scared anymore.   
He'd be ready to fight back if his father tried to hurt Sam.

Lance must have seen the determination in his eyes, cause he stepped back immediately, a surprised look on his face. He wasn't used to his son standing up to him. 

"C'mon, Sammy. We're going back in." He said simply, never taking his eyes off of their father.  
"You stay where you are, son. I'm not done talking." His father said, or better ordered.  
"Oh, but I'm done listening." Michael answered promptly, and turned around.

"You'll listen to me once we're back in Phoenix." His father said, threateningly.  
The sentence had the desired effect: Michael stopped and walked back. "We're leaving right after the funeral." Lance continued, grinning, knowing he had won.  
"Bullshit." Michael said looking down at him with a sneer. "You are. Sammy and I are staying right here."

"I'm still your father, you'll come with me whether you want it or not." Michael didn't like that menacing tone, had heard it way too many times already and wouldn't stand for it anymore.  
"Oh, I won't." Michael said with a triumphant smirk. "I'm legally an adult, I don't answer to you anymore."  
"But Samuel is not." Lance smirk matched his son's as he answered, and Michael froze, scared.

"Grandpa and I are his relatives too." He argued weakly. "He can choose to stay with us."  
"Want to fight me in a court about it?" His grin showed he was sure of himself, and Michael defeated expression confirmed it.

His father had good lawyers, had proved it already during the divorce. Michael didn't stand a chance against him, and they both knew it.  
"Exactly what I thought." Lance said, noticing his son's silence. "He _will_ come with me, Michael. And your only chance to see him ever again is coming back home."

"My home is here now." He answered after a moment, looking down. There was no way he'd go back to that hell, even though it hurt to think Sammy would have to face it alone.

"Think about it, Michael. If you don't come back it's over. You won't get any financial support from me. I will disown you!"  
"Go ahead. I'm ashamed to call you father anyway." Michael spat out, then turned to his brother. "Come on in, Sammy. We're done talking with scum for today."

~

"Grandpa?" Michael called out as soon as they were back inside. "I need a big favor."

Sam had stormed back to his room, and Michael knew there was nothing he could do to help him now. Sammy just needed some time alone to process everythig.  
Grandpa peeked out of his workroom and Michael's worried expression was enough for Grandpa to stop his work and sit down next to Michael, two root beers in his hand, one held out in offering.

"No, thanks." He answered, automatically.  
Grandpa only sighed. "Figured you wouldn't." He mumbled. "Ain't no surprise with that father of yours. What did he say, boy?"  
"He wants us to go back." Michael explained, clenching his fists in rage until his nails almost broke the skin. "But I can choose not to." He added, then gathered the courage to ask the question that was burning him inside. "Could I stay here with you?"

Grandpa shrugged. "Well, my boy, why not? You already got yourself a job down at the beach. 's long as you help me with the bills and aren't too loud it's all good."  
And with that Grandpa closed himself in his workroom once again. The argument was settled as far as he was concerned.

The door slammed behind him and Michael sighed. He'd gotten permission, sure, but no advice on whether staying was the right decision or not.

~

Michael sat at the table for some time after that, just thinking about it.  
It would be lonely, leaving there alone just with Grandpa, but at least he wouldn't have to put up with his father.

But could he abandon his brother like that? Knowing how much he'd suffer alone with their father?

"Hey, Mike..." Sam chose that exact same moment to come back down.

Michael turned around surprised, hadn't heard him approach. "Don't come back just for me. We both know it's not worth it."  
Michael looked up at Sammy, a sure expression on his face, and at that moment his brother seemed different, so serious and so grown up all of a sudden.

"You're sure?" Michael asked, feeling his voice cracking, the guilt in his throat weighing on him. "You know this is not me giving up on you, right? I'll call you every day and in two years' time I'll be riding to Phoenix to bring you back here." Sammy just nodded, patting his back as if _Michael_ was the one who needed reassurance right now, and not the other way around. 

"By then we'll have our own place" Michael added, preferring to dream of a better future rather than acknowledging the time they'd have to face alone, dreading it already.

"Will we have a TV?" Sam asked, chuckling.

"Of course." He answered, laughing. "We'll have our own TV and our own life." Michael promised.  
He knew Sam trusted him, he'd always trust Michael, and Michael thought maybe he shouldn't.

He didn't think he could save him this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took Michael's father's name from the novelization, but Grandpa's is just a headcanon.


	3. Chapter 3

The funeral had been a short, intimate ceremony and his father had left right after, taking Sam with him.

Michael had never felt so alone. He realized he should have valued his mother's company more, what he wouldn't do to talk to her now, let out everything he felt inside.  
That's when it hit him.

He could still talk to her.

~

When he got there, Michael was surprised to see Max.  
He had laid a single crimson rose next to the grave and had knelt down, his hand resting on the cold stone as he murmured something in a language Michael couldn't understand.

_"...peccavi nimis cogitatione, verbo, opere et omissione. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa."_

Michael stood there just looking at him for a moment.  
He had liked Max straight away. He had always treated his mother with respect and hadn't thought any less of her for having had a divorce. On the contrary, he had said it showed she was braver than many.  
It was plain to see he had cared for her deeply in those few months they'd been seeing each other.

" _...et lux perpétua lúceat ei. Requiéscat in pace._ " Max finished, grief plain in his voice.  
"Oh, Michael!" He called out as he stood up and turned around, suddenly noticing the boy. "Sorry, I didn't hear you coming."  
"Hey, Max. Glad to see you here. We missed you at the ceremony."  
"I couldn't make it, I'm very sorry." Max said, lowering his head. He looked genuinely sad, and Michael noticed how swollen his eyes were. It was obvious that he'd been crying.  
"Don't worry, I get it." Michael assured him. "It's always too depressing for some, I don't blame you."

He'd been the one who found her.  
A car accident, the police had said. They ran her over right in front of the videostore.  
When Max found her it'd been too late.

"I'm so sorry for what happened, Michael." Max said, patting his back and bringing him back to the present. "How are you?"  
Michael sighed. "I'm holding on as much as I can..."  
"Trying to be strong for your brother?" Max inquired, and Michael sighed.

"My father took him away today, you know? Back to Phoenix." Michael didn't know why he told him, maybe he just needed reassurance from the only fatherly figure he'd had around him for the past few months, maybe because he thought Max deserved to know, maybe just because he needed to say it out loud to accept it, to really believe it.  
"But you didn't go along." Max stated, and Michael could feel his curiosity.  
"No." He answered, simply. No reason to share more than that. Michael knew his mother had told Max about his father, but had no idea how much he really knew. And even if Michael had wanted to talk about it, to finally open up about it, he felt it wasn't his place to do it, anyway.

"If you need a place to stay..." Max offered. It could have been just a polite invitation without real intent behind it, but Michael felt it was heartfelt, genuine.   
Michael hadn't seen that coming.

"No, thanks." He answered after the initial surprise. "Grandpa is fine with having me there."  
"Well, what about a job then? Tourism season is almost over, and cleaning up the beach doesn't pay nearly as much in the wintertime."  
"Are you for real?" Michael asked, surprised.  
"Of course, come by tomorrow night, will you? I'll explain the job to you and you can start right away."

"Max, I don't know what to say... Thanks, man. It means a lot." Michael replied, thankful.  
"Oh, don't mention it."

"There's also something else I should be thanking you for, honestly." Michael started, looking him in the eyes.  
"What is it?" Max asked, seriousness in his voice.

"Those few months with you, I... I hadn't seen her that happy in a long time." Michael confessed.  
Max looked down, his guilt emerging one again.   
"Thanks, Michael." He said in the end. "She made me happy as well, you know? It's sad she had to go so soon..."  
Max started tearing up, but wiped it off immediately with a handkerchief.

Michael could see how devastated he was and patted his back, saying something among the lines of 'It's okay, there was nothing you could do." and once again Michael found himself comforting yet another person crying while he couldn't.

After a moment Max excused himself and left, and Michael watched him leaving.

That's when he saw them, stopping to talk with Max. They seemed to know each other, and Michael wondered how Max knew them, how come he seemed to get along just fine with them.  
 _Them_.

The bikers.

Michael had seen them on the boardwalk before, of course he had. They were hard to miss, after all.  
It wasn't only their aggressive, in-your-face appearance, the way they paraded through the boardwalk letting everybody know it was _their_ territory.  
No, there was more to it.

They were closer than most gangs, their touches more intimate, the gazes they exchanged more lingering.  
They never tried to hide it, why should they? Nobody would try to pick up a fight with them, anyway. And if they did, well... it wouldn't end well for them.  
So they lived their passion openly. Walked with their arms wrapped around each other, exchanged lazy kisses in between beers, and teased each other with caresses and playful touches.

Michael suspected they probably caught him looking a couple of times, it was hard for him not to when they put on such shows. Luckily, he doubted his staring could have been confused with judgment or disgust.  
Oh, it was far from it.

While Michael was lost in those memories, Max had walked away, and the bikers were walking towards him now.

"Hey." The bleached-blond approached him "Michael, right?"  
"Yeah..." Michael answered, shivering.

The guy was even more handsome up close, and Michael gulped, forcing himself not to get lost inside his icy blue eyes.

This one was the leader. It was easy to pick up their power dynamics when one observed them as much as Michael did.  
"David" the guy offered, smiling friendly and holding out a hand.  
"David." Michael nodded, a bit awkwardly, but shook his hand nonetheless. What did they want from him?

The others had gotten closer now, and Michael could _feel_ their gaze on his face.

"Michael, these are Marko,"  
The short one, fierce and wild. None of his shirts had ever covered his midriff every time Michael had seen them, and Michael had been looking for a long time.  
"Dwayne,"  
The brunette, second in command. The one that wasn't familiar with the concept of shirts, and oh was Michael glad for it.  
"and Paul."  
The other blond, loud and over the top, with those beautiful blue eyes.

"Our deepest condolences." David continued, his eyes set on Michael, and it felt like the blond could see into his soul. "We get your pain."  
"Thanks, I appreciate it..." Michel looked at him quizzically, sure there was a story to follow that sentence.  
"We were all orphans, Mike." explained the short one, Marko "Then Max took us in. Guardian, mentor, tutor; call him whatever, he's been like a father to us."

So that's how they knew each other, Michael realized. He'd never have seen this coming."Oh, I see. I didn't know..."  
David chuckled. "He doesn't usually mention us, we know. But can you blame him? _'I have four adopted teenagers'_ isn't exactly the best way to approach a budding relationship."  
"And _'oh, they're the punks who terrorize the boardwalk at night,_ I'm sure _you've heard of them'_ is exactly the worst." Paul continued, his impression of Max's voice spot on, and that managed to get Michael to laugh for the first time in days.

"Are you religious, Michael?" Dwayne spoke for the first time, and the raw depth of his voice made Michael shiver.  
"N-No, not really." He managed to say, turning to him trying his hardest not to let his eyes slip down to his chest, knowing he'd never be able to look away again.  
"Thank God." The irony wasn't wasted on Michael, who smiled genuinely for the first time that day. "Then I won't have to fake a deep monologue on how she's in a better place now."  
"I take it you guys don't believe either?" Michael asked, genuinely wanting to know more about them.  
"Oh, Hell no." Paul answered, disgust plain in his voice. "Besides, how could any heaven be better than here and now?"

It had sounded deep and almost poetic, and Michael found himself dwelling on it, wondering with a pang of envy if their life really was that beautiful.

"We're gonna leave you to your thoughts now." Dwayne said, noticing how thoughtful Michael looked, and resting a hand on his shoulders. The physical contact was unexpected and it made Michael gasp softly. "I'm sure there's a lot going on right now in your life." He finished, his hand running down Michael's spine before the raven-haired stepped back.  
A wave of loneliness pervaded Michael, the dread of isolation coming over him and, for a moment, Michael considered _begging_ them to stay, if only just some minutes longer.

As if hearing that unsaid request, David was quick to reassure him with an unexpected offer. "Should you ever need someone to talk to, just come by the video store. We're almost always hanging around there in the evening."

"Or you can find us on the boardwalk." Paul added, his loud voice echoing in the empty cemetery.  
"Yeah, I think I saw you there a couple of times." Michael said, nodding and blushing lightly.  
"Oh, Michael." Marko said with a malicious grin and a veil of taunting in his voice. " _We know_ you saw us."

It was at that moment Michael noticed the way David had wrapped his arm around Paul's waist, how Dwayne was leaning onto Marko's shoulder and running a hand into his curls.  
How they looked so confident, so unashamed, so uncaring of Michael's gaze, or rather trying to attract it. So _free_.

 _'Ok, they definitely caught me looking.'_ Michael realized _._

"You can come to us for that too." Dwayne said, leaning onto him to whisper in his ear, seriousness in his deep, soothing voice.  
"Nobody needs to know." David reassured him, letting the back of his hand brush against Michael's face,  
"It'll be our little secret." Paul said, winking.

But David must have noticed the conflict in his eyes, how Michael was tempted by their offer but still afraid to act on his desire.  
"You don't have to answer now, Michael. We'll wait for you as long as we'll have to." He told him, and it sounded in equal parts a threat and a promise.  
Michael nodded and watched as they walked away, their hands founding each other's, intertwining together.

~

That night when he called Sam he told him about Max and the job he'd offered him, but he didn't tell him about the bikers.  
Michael didn't know why, but he felt like he wanted to keep them a secret, as if he was jealous of them.


	4. Chapter 4

"I always cover the night shift," Max had explained to him the night after, "you'll be working in the evenings, and afternoons on the weekends only."  
Michael was happy there, the job was less extenuating than cleaning the beach, he was sure he'd still have the job the next day, and it also paid better.

The store was empty and he'd been working there for a week when the bikers finally came by, and Michael would have been lying if he said he hadn't been waiting for them to show up. 

"Hey hey, Mikey! How's it going, man?" Paul greeted him, his energy making Michael smile.  
"Hey, Paul. I'm good, what about you?"  
"We're okay." Answered a voice behind him.  
When Michael turned he was face to face with David, the blond smirking at him.

 _'How did he get behind the counter without me noticing?'_ Michael thought, surprised, but smiled at him nonetheless.  
"Boo." David said, and Michael felt his breath on his face. They were so close, their chests almost touching, and Michael lost himself just staring into those icy blue eyes. 

Michael felt a hand resting on his shoulder and it broke the trance he'd been trapped into. He broke eye contact with David and turned around to find Dwayne and Marko smiling at him.  
"Hello, Michael." Dwayne greeted him with a smile, while Marko just grinned.

"What brings you here, guys? Wanna rent a movie?" Michael asked, hoping his voice didn't tremble.  
"Not really." Marko answered, eyeing him up and down. "We like what we're seeing just fine."  
Michael blushed at that, and felt all their hungry eyes on him, watching him closely.

David was leaning into him again, when they heard the shop doorbell ring.  
The bikers were quick to step back, and Michael went back to his professional self, greeting the customers and asking them how he could help them. 

They left the shop pretty quickly after they got what they wanted, and the boys approached Michael once again.  
"How much until you _get off?_ " Dwayne asked him, his voice dropping significantly at the last two words.   
"Twenty minutes." Michael answered, gulping nervously and trying his hardest not to stare at his beautiful, inviting lips.

"We really don't wanna... _distract you_ on the job." Marko said, gently resting a hand on his chest, the contact making him shiver.  
"Meet us on the boardwalk when you're done." David told him, and Michael knew it wasn't a suggestion.  
"Sure." Michael was quick to answer. "Where?"  
"Just show up there, somewhere. We'll find you." Paul assured him, winking.  
With that they walked to the door and, just as they rode away, Michael saw Max getting out of his car. 

"So you've met the boys." He said matter-of-factly after he had walked in.  
"Yeah." Michael answered. "I first met them that day at the cemetery, you know? Right after you left."  
"I see." Max replied, thoughtful.  
"You could have told her, you know? She wouldn't have judged you for adopting orphans, that's commendable really."

Max looked down and readjusted his glasses, a gesture Michael had learned to recognize as a nervous tic, then sighed. "Well, I'm afraid there is more to them than what meets the eye. In time you'll understand my reluctance to introduce them to her."

Michael nodded. He had already an idea of what Max was referring to, and could understand why he'd find it disturbing.  
Technically it _was_ incest, after all.

~

When he finished his shift, Michael didn't go straight to the boardwalk.  
Instead, he rode to the place he stopped by every night.

"Hey mom." He said, sitting down next to the gravestone, his hand brushing over it gently.  
He sat there for a moment, just telling her about his day.

"I'll go now, mom." He said, in the end. "I'm meeting with those bikers I told you about, Max's boys. You know, I think I might be making some friends." He confessed, but in his heart he knew that wasn't all he wanted from them, and something in the way they acted around him made him think they wanted more from him, too.


	5. Chapter 5

Michael was walking down the boardwalk, his eyes scanning through the crowd searching for those familiar faces.  
It had been stupid, Michael realized, not having agreed on a meeting spot, and after a while he found himself wondering if they hadn't done it on purpose, to see just how much he wanted to meet them, if he would have stayed and waited for them instead of just leaving. Was this all part of a twisted test?

Michael sighed, stopping and sitting down on a bench. He had walked the whole boardwalk back and forth two times but there had been no sign of the boys and he had begun to lose hope.  
Resigned he decided to head back to his bike when suddenly he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

As he turned around he was face to face with a smirking Marko. "You've been walking for a while now, Mike." He said, his grin never leaving his face. "Are you looking for someone?" Looking behind him Michael saw the others as well, and wondered just how long they had been following him.  
"Marko! Guys! Hey!" He said smiling, not even trying to mask his enthusiasm as seeing them again. "I thought you weren't going to show up." He confessed, and Paul walked up to him at that, patting his shoulder. "Nah, man. We would never let you down like that."  
Michael felt the truth behind his words and it reassured him, made all his fears fade away.

"Now, if you aren't still planning on leaving so soon we thought we could show you the boardwalk." Dwayne said, and Michael could see on his face how unsure he felt, as if he really thought Michael would refuse that offer. Looking around at the others he saw that sentiment mirrored on all of their faces.  
"I'd love to." He admitted, and saw the relief on their faces at his words. It was beautiful, Michael thought, not to be taken for granted for once.

~

Michael thought he had already seen all that the boardwalk had to offer, but he had to think again as he walked it with the boys.  
They knew the best places to get food from that weren't the usual tourist traps, and what rides were the most enjoyable. They spent the next hour laughing and having fun, and Michael couldn't remember the last time he had felt that happy, that carefree.

It was all going great until David rested a hand on his shoulder and spoke, his voice saddened. "Well Michael, I'd say that's it for tonight." He said. "We wouldn't want to show you everything on the first day, it'd spoil our next meetings."  
Michael's smile faded immediately, and dread filled him at the thought of them leaving him. 

"Something wrong Michael?" Dwayne asked him, noticing the scared expression on his face.  
"I-" Michael started tentatively, feeling all of their concerned gazes on him as he blushed. "I just don't want to be alone for the rest of the night." He confessed, hoping they wouldn't judge him or deem him too needy.  
They all shared a glance, and for a moment none of them spoke. 

"Well... There's a place we call home not far away from here." Dwayne said finally, after David nodded at him. "Care to come back to it with us?"  
"I'd love to." Michael agreed enthusiastic, his face lightening up once again, eager to spend more time with them.

"It's a bit out of the city though, we'll have to ride there." Marko informed him.  
"Oh, ok. No problem." Michael nodded, but then he was starting to worry. He had seen their bikes and knew he couldn't possibly keep up with them.  
"Mike I hate to break this to you," Marko continued, " but your bike looks like she's got a tire in the grave already. You sure she can make it?" He asked, doubts plain in his voice.

"Honestly? No." Michael admitted, sighing. _'But I really wanted to go back to their place...'_  
"Would you guys mind if I rode with one of you?" He suggested, hoping with all his heart they wouldn't refuse.  
"Mind?" Paul chuckled. "More like fight over who'll get to ride with you."

David was already looking sternly at all of them, trying to remind them he was their de-facto leader, but before they could even start to argue Dwayne had already grabbed Michael's hand and was leading him to his bike.  
"Hop up, Michael." He said, smiling smugly at the others as Michael wrapped his arms around his waist. "You coming boys, or shall I keep him all for myself?"

~

"Welcome home, Mikey." Paul said as they entered the cave, Marko walking around to lit up the old oil drums, and with each new light Michael saw more and more of the place that surrounded him. He couldn't believe his eyes.  
"So, what do you think?" David asked smugly, proud of the place as always.

"It's incredible!" He said, walking to the walls and looking up at all the stuff that hanged from the ceiling, then gently passing a hand over the big Jim Morrison graffiti. "And you guys really live down here?"  
"Yep." Paul nodded, sitting down on the couch and patting the spot next to him, inviting Michael to go sit next to him. Michael did, still looking around in wonder.  
David sat down on his other side and Dwayne was quick to join them as well.

They all noticed Michael tensing up as Marko came back from one of the cave's corridors with the bottle and started passing it around after sitting down on an old wheelchair in front of them, but they thought nothing of it. It wasn't like they weren't expecting some wariness from him.

When his turn came to drink David held out the bottle for him, an inviting smile on his face. "Here. Have some, Michael." He said, sure Michael would take it, if only to prove himself in their eyes.  
But to their surprise Michael just shook his head. "No, thanks." He refused, as politely as he could. "I never drink." He confessed.

David was going to push some more, to pressure him into giving in, but then he took one quick look into Michael's mind and saw the years of abuse that he had witnessed and experienced at the hands of his alcoholic father and chose to let it go. He wouldn't cause Michael any more pain.  
A veil of sadness was falling on David after what he'd seen, but luckily Paul knew exactly how to change the subject.

"...wine?" He asked, as if finishing Michael's sentence, and was met by a confused expression, Michael clearly not getting the reference.  
"Man!" Paul exclaimed in disbelief then. "Seriously? You've never seen Bram Stoker's Dracula?"  
"No, not really." Michael confessed.

The boys just needed to exchange one look to know they were all thinking the same thing.  
"Michael, you do have the keys to the videostore, right?" Dwayne asked, a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. 

~

The shop was closed once they arrived, and all around them was quiet.  
The boardwalk had closed for the night, and there was no one to see the five boys entering the building, each carrying something; covers, pillows, and Marko had even brought some popcorns along.

As they were laying the covers down on the cold floor in front of the bigger tv set and Dwayne had found a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula Michael was still standing close to the threshold, wondering why he had agreed to this.  
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" He asked, unsure. "Max could fire me on the spot if he knew I broke in."  
"Nah, don't worry Mikey." Paul reassured him, not turning to look at him as he finished rearranging the pillows. "Dad won't find out, and if he does we'll cover for you, tell him you were never here and we stole the keys from you."  
Michael's tension eased a bit at that, and didn't hesitate when they told him to lay down with them on their makeshift couch.

He ended up sitting between Dwayne and David, and the wall was cold as he rested his back against it.  
"Move forward for a second." David told him, then wrapped his coat over Michael's shoulder, smiling happily at Michael's surprised but grateful expression.

"Oh. Thanks David, you really didn't have to-"  
"Shut it, Mike. It's starting." Marko interrupted him, and they all turned to the screen at that.

" _The year 1462, Constantinople had fallen_." Paul said, in perfect sync with the movie. Michael turned to him wide-eyed. "You know it all by heart?"  
Paul just nodded, smiling proudly, never stopping his quoting.  
"He does." Dwayne answered for him with an affectionate smile. "And he's gonna mouth each line for the whole duration of the movie." 

The movie started, and David spent the next couple of minutes translating Dracula's Romanian for Michael, leaning into him to whisper it in his ears, and Michael shivered at their closeness, barely focusing on what David was saying.

~

After a while Marko started to move, changing his position a couple of times, his restless body unused to staying so still for long. It didn't make that much noise but it was still somehow distracting, and it didn't show signs of stopping.

Soon after Dwayne turned to look at him and opened up his arms. Marko pondered on it for a moment before finally giving in and going to sit in Dwayne's lap, finally relaxing as Dwayne wrapped his strong arms around his waist and let Marko's hands run through his long hair.

~

On screen Jonathan was laying down on a bed when Michael felt David's hand resting on his thigh.  
Michael looked down at it for a moment before deciding to focus on the movie again, but as a head emerged from between Jonathan's legs Michael realized the face on the screen he was looking at was _David's_.  
That vision lasted only a few seconds, and when Michael blinked confused, the image was suddenly back to normal. 

The sight might have been gone but the trick was done now. As Michael saw the woman on screen taking a hold of Jonathan's hips and then lowering to lick his chest he couldn't help but imagining David doing that to him.

Embarrassed he realized he was getting hard, and was glad for the darkness that surrounded them so hopefully the boys wouldn't notice it.

But it only got worse as two other women appeared and Michael found their faces shifting between their real ones and Dwayne's, Paul's, and Marko's.

He shortly wondered if he had been drugged, if the hallucinations came from something the boys had slipped into those popcorns, but that thought was soon abandoned, Michael's focus shifting back to David's hand moving further up, and Michael finally dared to look up then, meeting David's eyes, shining with something that Michael could only have called _want_.

He opened his mouth as to say something, but then a loud scream came from the screen and distracted Michael. When he turned back to David he wasn't looking at him anymore, and his hand was nowhere to be seen. It was as if nothing had happened at all. 

"How dare you touch him, he belongs to me." Dwayne said out of the blue, and it sent a shiver through Michael's spine, a wave of sudden excitement and desire. It took him a moment to realize Dwayne was simply translating for him again, but oh how Michael wished he had meant that, how he wished he really _did_ belong to Dwayne.  
Or to any of them really... 

The horrifying scene of a baby being massacred on screen did nothing to lessen Michael's arousal. 

~

The movie went on and Michael did his best to try and convince himself that nothing had happened. That David's hand on his thigh had meant nothing, that Dwayne's deepening voice as he said 'he belongs to me' had meant nothing as well, and that Paul and Marko's hungry eyes on him had also meant nothing at all.

~

As the credits rolled down the screen Michael stared at it quietly, his disappointment clear on his face, mixed with confusion.

"So Mike. What did you think of it?" Marko asked, noticing his expression.  
"Oh I liked it, it was nice, very well made." He answered, nodding absentmindedly, but his brows were still furrowed and he had yet to meet Marko's eyes, still staring at the screen as if waiting for something else, looking for an answer. 

"But?" Paul asked, sensing there was something Michael wasn't telling, something that was bothering him.  
"But I think Mina was a fool." He confessed, finally forcing his eyes away from the screen. It was only then that he noticed they were all looking at him, intrigued. 

"I mean, she never tried to save Dracula's life, just his soul, by _killing him_. She gave up immortality - _immortality!_ \- and a man that loved her immensely. And what for?" He asked. "I get that she already had a husband, and don't get me wrong Keanu Reeves is hot okay? But I just think-"  
"You'd have chosen Dracula, Michael? Really?" David interrupted him, amused. "Dracula that had sacrificed her best friend to get to her? Dracula that was a monster and a killer, and would have made her one as well?"

"You're telling me that's a price you wouldn't pay to live forever with someone you love and that loved you in return?" Michael asked, and they all shivered at the seriousness in his tone.  
Of course it was all hypothetical in Michael's mind, but there had been something in his eyes at the idea of an eternal life surrounded by those that loved him.

After that their conversation ended, and as the rest of them turned off the tv set and started cleaning up, Dwayne kept thinking about what Michael had said, what implications laid behind those words, unknown by the brunette.  
Dwayne sighed.

_'Oh, Michael. If you only knew we can offer all of it to you... would you still accept it? Would you really forgive us the murdering of your own Lucy?'_


End file.
